Process of sterilizing milk, &amp;c.



No. 669,702. Patented Man l2, l9fl l.

n. a. NASH. I PROCESS OF STERILIZINGJMLK, &C.

(Applicatiun file'd Nov. 15, 1897 (Modem PETERS ca. Pnm'oumm. wumucma c.

RICHARD GRAINGER NASH, OF LUCAN, NEAR DUBLIN, IRELAND.

PROCESS OF STERILIZING MILK, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,702, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed November 15, 1897- Serial No. 658,596. No specimens.) I

, To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD GRAINGER NASH, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Finnstown House, Lucan, near Dublin, Ireland, have invented a new and useful Improved Process for Use in Sterilizing Milk and other Liquids or Substances, (in respect whereof I have obtained apatent in Great Britain, dated April 8, 1897, No. 8,977,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved process of treatingmilk, cream, fruit, and other comestibles for the purpose of effecting their sterilization, the said process being effected in apparatus adapted for the reception of the bottles or other vessels containing such commodities.

Apparatus adapted for carrying out my improved process is illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, Figs. 2 and 3 being vertical sections showing means for closing the vessels whereof the contents are being treated, the former consisting of a cork having a notch at one end applicable for use with an ordinary bottle, while the latter comprises a cork of the ordinary construction and a bottle-neck formed with a vent-hole in its side.

A is a steam-tight vessel provided with suitable pipes and valves B 0, serving, respectively, for the admission of steam and the escape of the water of condensation and furnished with a steam-gage a and thermometer co, the latter extending by preference into one of the bottles. A pipe and stop-cock D for the admission of cold water when required may also be provided, a door A, which may be rendered steam-tight in any suit-able manner, being applied at a convenient part of the vessel. A short distance above the floor of the vessel is situated a perforated false bottom E whereon the bottles or other vessels containing the liquid or substance to be treated are placed. If preferred, the bottles may be placed in a trolley or basket and then deposited on the false bottom. Above this false bottom and above the bottles is a plate F, which may be of perforated iron, suitable means, such as a screw f or lever, being provided for efiecting the vertical adjustment of the said plate, which may be provided with guides or rollers working over rails f in the interior of the vessel for facilitating the upand-down movement thereof.

When the liquids or substances to be sterilized are contained in receptacles of the ordinary construction, such as bottles, a cork G, having a V or other shaped notch g at one end, is forced into the neck of the bottle until the bottom of the V-notch arrives just above the lip of the bottle, as shown in Fig. Thus a vent is provided for the escape of any gases or odors which may arise during the heating or reheating, and upon the forcing home of the corks in the bottleneck and the contents becoming cool a vacuum is created in the vessels above the contents. It will be obvious that the notch or groove g may be formed in the internal surface of the neck instead of the external surface of the cork, or the neck of the bottle may be provided with a small hole h, (see Fig. 3,) in which case an ordinary cork H is employed, the hole being closed by the side of the cork when the latter is forced into the neck. A small channeled or tubular vent may, moreover, be introduced with the cork when first inserted in the neck of the bottle and subsequently withdrawn upon the cork being driven home.

In applying my improved process to the sterilization of milk, for example, the bottles containing the same are deposited on the perforated false bottom E in the steam-tight vessel A, it having been observed that all the corks G (or H) are in a vertical attitude and the vent g (or h) free. The door A having been closed steam-tight, the movable plate F is brought to within a short distancesay one-eighth of aninch-of the tops of the corks. Steam is now admitted to the vessel A by means of the cock B and perforated pipe or coil B, and when the temperature has risen to the desired height and the necessary time has been allowed for effecting sterilization the movable plate F is forced onto the corks, so as to press them into their respective bottle-necks, the plate being allowed to remain in this position until the milk is sterilized and cooled. If reheating is to be resorted to, the

movable plate F is raised to the first position, so that on heat being again applied in the vessel A the corks are free to rise in the bottlenecks and any gas or bad odor that may have risen since the first heating is permitted to escape. The movable plate is lowered, as before explained, when the desired temperature has been reached and the required time for effecting sterilization has been allowed.

If the milk is well filtered and the temperature raised in bulk to 160 Fahrenheit for about twenty minutes, then cooled to 90 Fahrenheit,and bottled at the latter temperature, the appearance and keeping quality of the milk will be improved.

To obtain the best results, the milk is heated in bulk to a temperature of about 160 Fahrenheit, cooled to about 90 Fahrenheit, and then bottled at about the latter temperature, the bottles themselves having previously been heated to about 90 Fahrenheit. Any bad odors or gases which may arise from the milk during this heating and cooling are allowed to escape. The bottles containing the milk, their corks being arranged as hereinbefore described, are placed in the sterilizing vessel A, and water heated to about 90 Fahrenheit is run into the said vessel in sufficient quantity to leave the apertures of the bottle-necks uncovered, the movable plate F being then brought into position over the corks and the temperature of the water raised to about 160 or 212 Fahrenheit. Steam may now be blown or otherwise admitted above the Water with a view to removing any bad odors or gases arising from the milk. By this method of treatment the process of sterilization is expedited, the flavor and appearance of the milk being at the same time improved. If

desired, economy in the method of treatment maybe effected by dispensing with the use of steam and employing direct fire heat, which may be applied beneath the apparatus. Before effecting the corking of the bottles sterilized atmospheric air may be admitted into the Vessel A with a View to impregnating the milk with such air.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In the sterilization of milk and other liquids or substances the herein-described process consisting in filtering the liquid, raising it to a temperature of 160 Fahrenheit, cooling it to about 90 Fahrenheit, bottling at the latter temperature and then subjecting the bottled liquid to a high temperature in a closed vessel, the escape from the bottles of any gases or bad odors evolved during the heating being permitted.

2. The herein-described process for the sterilization of milk and other liquids or substances consisting in filtering the liquid, raising its temperature in bulk to 160 Fahrenheit, cooling it to about 90 Fahrenheit, bottling at the latter temperature and then subjecting the bottled liquid to a high temperature in a closed vessel, the receptacles containing the liquid being in a partially-sealed condition whereby the escape from the bottles of any gases or bad odors evolved during the heating is permitted and regulated; a vacuum being created in the bottles upon the completion of the sealing and the cooling of the liquid.

3. The herein-described process for the sterilization of milk, consisting in filtering the liquid, subjecting it in bulk to a temperature of 160 Fahrenheit for about twenty minutes, and then to a temperature of 90 Fahrenheit, heatingthe bottles to this latter temperature, bottling the milk at the same temperature 90 Fahrenheit, partially sealing the charged bottles and then placing them in a steam-tight vessel, raising the temperature to about 212 Fahrenheit, injecting steam into the vessel for removing any bad odors or gases evolved during the heating, completely sealing the bottles and then cooling them and their contents.

RICHARD GRAINGER NASH. Witnesses:

THOS. P. ELAM, ERNEST G. TAYLOR. 

